Click-Click-Tap-Tap-Bam-Bam-CRASH

That’s the sound of some insidious, evil geek, hacking into and crashing my computer.  It took a week and a few nicer geeks to get things back to almost normal.  Almost!

I don’t think my sweet little computer will ever be quite the same.  I use a big, 17 inch HP laptop, on an angled stand with two fans blowing underneath.  The fans are because it runs very hot. It’s not the kind of laptop you carry around under your arm. 

 It has been helping me with bookkeeping, accounting and taxes for a lot of clients for 6 years.  Then, someone playing games decides to ruin it.  I have Norton Antivirus and an internet watcher called Malwarebytes, but they both missed the offender.  Fortunately I am faithful about backing up critical information. 

You can see in the picture how much I use my computer by the missing letters on the keyboard.  I learned to type on old style typewriters. 

 First an Underwood, then a Remington and a Royal.  I guess I  type on the tips of my fingers as one had to do to make those keys go down, so my fingernails, whether short or long, absolutely ruin the keyboard of every computer I use.  The people at Best Buy wanted to know if I spilled something on the keyboard (lye?).  If it had only been that easy!!

Knitting was my relaxation during this ugly event.  I don’t believe I am going to like the heft of the heavy-weight cotton for a dishcloth.  We will see. 

 I have started the Fair Isle on the hat, but I’m afraid the variegated color sections may be too long to have that stained glass effect.  Again, we will see. 

Baby girl's sweater and soft as a bunny’s tail blanket have been sent off to the new great-granddaughter who was born early last week.

Meet Monroe Kathleen.  She is my Carrie’s 3rd grandchild.  Her son Joshua told me that he felt his mom there.  Knowing Carrie as I do I am certain she was there.

 

Life is good.

Fall Back

Lately things have been smoothing out.  Work hasn’t slowed down at all but I have.  I’ve given myself permission to relax and do fun things like knit and my fall back interest, sewing.  Do you have a fall back?  I know Judy embroiders because I’ve seen those magnificent socks, and Nancy makes the Best. Quilts. Ever.  Kathy could go into the making and selling bears business.

I’m a little confused at this point about which is my fall back, knitting/sewing or sewing/knitting.  I am doing a lot of both!  I discovered a hat last week, printed the pattern and couldn’t wait to start it.  Fortunately I had yarn that I think will work in stash.  It has a stained glass look to it and offers the opportunity to do some Fair Isle, which is one of my favorite things. Back to knitting.

Then I received the flannel from Fabric.com—my favorite online fabric store.  I plan to make another flannel baby blanket, this time for the new boy baby, with a Paw Patrol design on the front and sweet baby blue on the back.

Back to knitting:  I discovered a skein of variegated, heavy weight cotton in stash.  I wondered what kind of dishcloth it would make and of course a knitter can’t ask a question like that without finding out the answer.  Already on the needles!

We are in need of hot pads in the kitchen.  I made a dozen of them to go with the microwave bowls for Christmas but none for us.  So I decided to grab some leftover 100% cotton batting and make some cute heart shaped hot pads to spruce up the kitchen.  More sewing.

Finally, there is the constant and most important dog toy sewing.  Macy and Max are hard on toys and love to pull the stuffing out of them.  (In the picture of the cotton yarn you can see a squirrel's tail which has been reattached to the squirrel).  So I re-stuff the toy and do some heavy-duty sewing along the tear, then toss them on the floor of the sewing room.  The pups have started sleeping and/or pacing outside the door to the room and when they see a toy on the floor there is a mad dash to see who gets to it first.  I usually try to put down two at a time and whichever dog notices it first tries to get both toys into his/her mouth. 

It seems I have a lot to fall back on, and it is working—shoo anxiety and stress!!

Life is good.

Repairs and Maintenance

This blog’s writer has been under repairs and maintenance for a while.  I said I was going to retire for half the year and work through the heavy year-end closings and taxes part of the year.  That puts me smack dab in the middle of that fast-paced time and headed toward the first tax due date.  It is still the intense and wearing pace that I remember.  But the end of summer and winter were fun!

None of the back-to-work stress has helped the sometimes severe and other times “I can handle them” anxiety attacks I’ve been having.  We are working on the problem, and when I say, “We” I mean just about anyone who comes in contact with me day to day.  Bill has been a huge help in keeping me calm.  He even uses humor.  This morning he said he would tell me how pretty I looked but he was afraid I would ask, “What do you mean by that.”  I have made small progress thanks to a wonderful doctor who knows me well after 30 years.  I think I am on the way to understanding myself better than ever before and demonstrating that old dogs really can learn new tricks with the help of a lot of friends, a ton of prayers and a little medication.

Staying busy with things I enjoy has been my main “repair and maintenance” method.  There are two new great-grandchildren coming in the next two months. All these new babies have had me knitting and sewing during every free moment.

I finished a little girl sweater which is awaiting buttons:

I’m working on a pink blanket with fuchsia and purple contrast:

AND a soft as bunny-fur blanket for baby girl.  This is made fast and easy by making a frame with four mitered corners to slip the contrast flannel (and batting if you like) into.  Stitch around the whole thing and just add a baby.

Still working on a quilt for the baby boy, but since it has a fire engine on it, brother Bryce will be sure it belongs to him:

Then I made pattern weights to use on the silk shirt I am about to cut for sewing.  No sticking pins in that sheer fabric!

Finally I tried my hand at a fabric storage box, and since it is okay (just) I may make more:

That’s what is happening with me.  Please keep the prayers and good thoughts coming.  The pups are being their usual cute and demanding selves.  Soon to be 15 year-old Macy had a senior dog exam that included x-rays and blood tests.  When the Vet called he said, Macy is a 15 year-old dog with a 5 year-old dog’s heart and body.  We are blessed!

Life is good. 

 (Anyone know why Blogger is acting so crazy?  I can't get anything to stay where I put it.)